New Thunderbolts Movie Concept Art Proves Taskmaster Almost Looked Way Better (Photos)

by

Recently revealed concept art for the upcoming *Thunderbolts* movie shows that Olga Kurylenko’s Taskmaster could have had a more impressive helmet design. Kurylenko played the power-stealing assassin in the popular Marvel film, alongside other anti-heroes like Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), US Agent (Wyatt Russell), and Red Guardian (David Harbor). Unfortunately, Taskmaster was killed off early in the movie during the team’s first encounter.

One of the things fans noticed in the 2025 film was a new costume, especially a redesigned helmet shaped like a skull. Many Marvel fans weren’t happy with it, questioning why the movie version still didn’t match the character’s classic mask from the comics.

It’s disappointing for many fans to learn about a stunning Taskmaster helmet design that was created for the *Thunderbolts* movie but ultimately never used. The concept art recently surfaced online thanks to a share from YouTube user The Artbook Collector, who featured it from the film’s official art book.

The concept art features early designs for the Taskmaster helmet from the *Thunderbolts* project, which more closely match the character’s comic book appearance.

The helmet that didn’t make it into the final movie looked more like a skull-shaped knight’s helmet than the one audiences ultimately saw. While hints of this skull design did appear in the character’s look for *Black Widow*, they were toned down even further for the big 2025 Marvel movie.

As a big fan, I’ve been following the *Thunderbolts* designs closely. The final look for Taskmaster ended up being a bit cleaner than these early concepts. They toned down the metallic parts and got rid of the grill-like details around his mouth, which I actually think works better – it feels less bulky and more menacing.

This isn’t the only major change the character experiences in the new movie. Originally, she was hinted to be a key member of the Thunderbolts, and her appearance was even slightly different when concept art surfaced.

The new movie *Thunderbolts* introduces a team of super-powered individuals to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These heroes are considered outcasts or disposable by the U.S. government. Directed by Jake Schreier, known for the show *Beef*, the film features Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, and Wyatt Russell and is currently available to stream on Disney+.

Taskmaster Was The Victim of Sweeping Thunderbolts* Changes

These mask adjustments are just the newest of many changes made to the Taskmaster character while the *Thunderbolts* project was being developed.

Apparently, this character was originally intended to have a larger role, joining the core Thunderbolts team instead of being eliminated early in the story.

Olga Kurylenko had hinted that her character was originally meant to survive until the end of the movie. But after the 2023 Hollywood strikes ended and filming resumed, she discovered the script had been completely changed, and her character’s fate was altered.

Originally, my character was a key part of the story, present throughout the entire script. However, after the strike, the entire project changed. They altered the core idea, the storyline, and even the setting. It became a completely different project, which is disappointing because I really liked the character.

The film apparently changed even the way her character died. Kevin Feige reportedly adjusted the final scene with Taskmaster during editing to make it more impactful for viewers.

It’s really disappointing to me, as a Taskmaster fan, that with the actor’s passing, we might never see the Marvel villain we’ve all been hoping for come to life on screen. It feels like a missed opportunity after years of imagining what it could be like.

Rather than exciting action and a costume true to the comics, this character will be remembered for big changes that didn’t quite live up to their promise.

Read More

2025-10-19 04:05